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Advancing the public health workforce to achieve organizational excellence
Retention and Recruitment Workgroup

Overview

The Retention and Recruitment (R&R) Workgroup was established in May 2024 to guide the development of the Retention and Recruitment (R&R) Learning Community. The workgroup is composed of over 70 volunteers from Academia, Local and State Health Departments, and national organizations with expertise in retention and recruitment. Workgroup members support the development of the Learning Community.
 
Charge:
The R&R Workgroup is charged with advising the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages)  on the creation of this Learning Community for individuals and organizations wishing to improve retention and recruitment initiatives within governmental public health agencies. The Workgroup will contribute to further delineation of the purpose of the Learning Community and establishing parameters and a plan of action for the Learning Community. Workgroup members may be requested to review relevant materials, consider input from public health professionals, guide the selection of the Learning Community format appropriate for meeting the needs of the audiences identified, and advise on topics to be addressed during Learning Community convenings. 

Chair: Terry Brandenburg, Director of the Master of Public Health Program and Co-Director of the Doctor of Public Health Program (retired) at the Medical College of Wisconsin

Members: 
  • Tammi Alvey Thomas, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Public Health Practice and Undergraduate Education, University of Louisville School of Public Health & Information Sciences
  • Jessica Arrazola, Director of Educational Strategy, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)
  • Kathy Basile, Public Health Nurse, County of Morris, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Public Health (NJ)
  • Michele Bildner, Health Education Specialist, CDC Foundation
  • Debra Bragdon, Workforce Development Manager, Florida Department of Health
  • Emily Burke, Senior Director, Workforce Development and Applied Practice, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
  • Julie Campbell Carter, Director of Human Resources, Talbot County Health Department (MD)
  • Rebekah Chance-Revels, Senior Clinical Instructor, Emory University
  • Kim Clay, Training Consultant, Florida Department of Health in Duval County (FL)
  • Elizabeth Corneille, Disease Intervention Specialist, Indiana Health First ( through IDOH)
  • Brandin Cousineau, Accreditation Coordinator, St. Lawrence County Public Health Department (NY)
  • Danielle H. Dazulma, Program Management Officer, New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)
  • Annie Delawder Workforce Director, Columbus Public Health (OH)
  • Cynthia Dunn, Workforce Development Coordinator, Erie County Department of Health (PA)
  • Jodi Dyer, Manager of Strategic Performance and Partnerships, New Orleans Health Department
  • Lori Edwards, Associate Dean, University of Maryland Baltimore; Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (CPHNO)
  • Carrie Evans, Academic Affairs Director, Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH)
  • Erin Fitzgerald, Associate Director, National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI)
  • Ebony C. Funches, Workforce Director, Marion County Public Health Department (IN)
  • Jennifer Gay, Administrative Specialist for Workforce Development, Whatcom County Health and Community Services (WA)
  • Holly Gederos, Workforce Support Specialist, Public Health Systems Improvement Office, Montana Department of Public Health &Human Services
  • Jeanette Hart, Quality Services Manager, Lexington-Fayette County Health Department (KY)
  • Medha Havnurkar, Program Management Officer, CHW Initiatives, Maternal and Child Health Services, NJDOH Division of Family Health Services
  • Shelley Hersil, Health Officer/Director, Lincoln County Health Department (WI)
  • Elliot Hood, Assistant Director, Recruitment & Retention , Tennessee Department of Health
  • Sam Jarvis, Community Health Manager, Johnson County Public Health (IA)
  • Sarah Jones, Staff Development Officer, Butte County Public Health (CA)
  • Jo-Ann Julien, Workforce Director, Public Health Services, County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency (CA)
  • Matt Kachel, Workforce Development Coordinator, Public Health Madison and Dane County (WI)
  • Omar Khalid, Director of Workforce Development, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
  • April Klein, Senior Public Health Analyst, National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI)
  • Tom Kollmer, Administrative Branch Manager, Kentucky Department of Public Health (KY)
  • Phoebe Kulik, Senior Director of Workforce Development, Region V Public Health Training Center
  • Kate Lee, Project Manager, Multnomah County (OR)
  • Jackie Leung, Assistant Professor, Linfield University
  • Kristen Lindemer , Program Coordinator, Safe States Alliance
  • Nicole Magnuson, Director, Live Well Center for Innovation & Leadership
  • Erika Martinez, Assistant Director of Operations  City of Laredo, Texas Public Health Department (TX)
  • Lisa McCormick, Professor, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Academics and Practice, Director, Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control (AL)
  • Serena McCovery, Senior Program Manager, National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI)
  • Sara Mendez, Assistant Director, Public Health Practice, Texas A&M School of Public Health
  • Dulce Mendoza, Analyst , Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
  • Heidi Merchen, Public Health Manager, Napa County Health and Human Services Agency-Public Health (CA)
  • Adina Mijares, Chief, Workforce Planning Unit, HR, California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
  • Kristen Mitchel, Senior Program Manager, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Alaska Native Epidemiology Center
  • Susan Nappi, Executive Director, Office of Public Health Practice, Yale School of Public Health
  • Lindsey Nathan O'Connor, Health Human Resources Administrator, Office of the Commissioner, City of Milwaukee Health Department (WI)
  • Ujuoñu Nwizu, Health Equity and Justice Manager, Public Health Alliance of Southern California
  • Marina Pieretti, Director of Public Health Workforce Development, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
  • Ramesh Poluru, The INCLEN Trust International
  • Shelby Rentmeester, Director, Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship, Emory University
  • Beth Resnick, Assistant Dean for Public Health Practice, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • Kirsten Rodgers Principal, Proximate Learning
  • Kristin Rzeczkowski, Workforce Director, Illinois Department of Public Health
  • Suzanne Schaefer, Director of Nursing, Fargo Cass Public Health (ND)
  • Tali Schiller, Program Director, Academic Public Health Corps, Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MA)
  • Karis Schoellmann, Clinical Assistant Professor, Global Community Health & Behavioral Science, Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine
  • Kaela Schommer, Instructional Coordinator, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
  • Inez Schwarzenegger, Admin Officer I, Washington County Health Department
  • Lisa Serantes, Human Resource Analyst, Columbus Public Health (OH)
  • Hannah Seriki, Director of Health Equity & Justice, Public Health Alliance of Southern California
  • Melissa Sever, Senior Advisor, Public Health Systems and Services, Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)
  • Turquoise Sidibe, Founder, Innovate Well Group
  • Julie Skene, Occupational Health Nurse and Nursing Faculty, University of Washington
  • Melissa Slone, Chief Operations Officer, Kentucky River District Health Department (KY)
  • Nwachukwu Stanley, Heavystar Health Assurance
  • Jennifer Taylor, Deputy Director of Workforce, Louisiana Office of Public Health
  • Christa Thelen, Program Manager, Safe States Alliance
  • Natalie Torres- Negrón, Goverment Service Analyst, City of St. Louis Department of Health (MO)
  • Heather Trabal  Office of Public Health Workforce Development  Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT)
  • Quisha Umemba, CEO, Umemba Health
  • Alicia Wright-Lewis, Workforce Director, Department of Public Health, Health Commissioner's Office, City of Philadelphia (PA)​
For additional information, contact Mayela Arana at [email protected]
 
Retention and Recruitment Workgroup